Choices
by child-dragon
Summary: The last battle with Magus from the game, in written form. There's not much else to say, other than I really really hate writing summaries.
1. Intro

_Well, I wanted to write about the fight between Frog and Magus shortly after Chrono dies. It was mostly to piss off all the Magus fangirls, cause I remember how pissed off I was when my brother killed Magus in his game (we were in grade school). Then I remembered that I AM one of those Magus fangirls and I couldn't bear to just leave it at that. So I wrote the other ending as well. And then tried to decide which one I liked better. And found they both had their merits. So yeah. Chapter one goes up until the point where I branched off, chapters two and three are the two different endings I wrote. Pick the one you like best or read them both. Enjoy.  
_

Lucca's breath was coming in short gasps as they rounded the base of the incline. It crystallized in the artic air and clung to her lips as frost. Marle paused for a moment and she huddled close to the other girl, wrapping her arms around her diaphragm.

"I'm making it," Lucca said between her panting, "I'll be fine."

Marle didn't answer. Frog had slowed his own run into a slow walk, plowing through the snow with his eyes fixed on the summit of the hill they'd been climbing. The wind was strong here and all they could make out of the figure was the flapping of his cloak and his long, long blue-white hair. Lucca was shivering violently.

Frog should be the most winded of all of them. The snow was thick – up to Lucca's knee – and he was the shortest of all of them. And yet her and Marle were the ones following in his wake and struggling to keep up. If Chrono were here… she stopped that train of thought.

"He's been trained as a knight," Marle whispered back, guessing her thoughts, "Don't take it hard."

"I'm not."

It was just surprising, that's all.

Frog turned to the two of them, his hand closing around the hilt of Masamune.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yeah, let's go."

Lucca merely nodded. Together, the three walked up the last incline to the summit, where Magus was waiting. It was like a raven, perched at the pinnacle and watching the fields below for the battle to end and its time to feast on the remains. But maybe he was grieving. He'd just lost everything – and if Lucca was tracing the time stream in her mind right – this was the second time he'd lost his homeland and his sister in his life. How lonely it must be.

"Magus!" Frog cried, stepping forwards and drawing his sword. The ring of metal sliding across metal was loud in the clean air.

The mystic half-turned his head and Lucca caught a glimpse of dark eyes from behind the veil of blowing hair. There were dark circles under his eyes.

"Marle," Lucca whispered, "It isn't too late to end this, is it?"

Marle didn't reply, just stepped forwards behind Frog and silently put a bolt to her crossbow. Magus seemed to sigh – maybe it was the wind tussling his cape – and turned to face them. He brought one gloved hand up and all three of them tensed, thinking he was preparing a spell, but instead he unfastened the clasp of his cloak and let the wind have it. His scythe was stuck in the snow beside him.

"For many long years have I sought thee," Frog said, grim, "and now, tis time for a reckoning. Sins must be atoned for."

"She was such a proud woman," Magus said more to himself than anyone else, and his eyes were focused out beyond them, "and it seems that this was her downfall. Perhaps mine as well. Maybe we really can't rewrite our past." And this time, he was looking directly at them. "Your friend was a fool to throw away his life like that."

"Shut up!" Marle cried.

"At least he knows what's important! We're going to stop Lavos, bring Chrono back," Lucca said, and her hand was on her gun, "and we've had enough of your interference."

"Enough talk." His hand closed around his scythe and he lifted it, sweeping it out and falling into stance. "We end this now."

Lucca pulled her gun and switched the safety off. She could feel the cold in her stomach welling up and she grimly ignored it. None of them were meant to be fighters. Not her, not Marle, and maybe not even Chrono. But here they were. And this had to be done.

"No," Frog said, holding out a hand towards them, "This battle tis mine alone."


	2. Kill Magus?

She wanted to protest. But it seemed the cold in the air had stilled her lungs and she was silent to watch him walk forwards in even, measured steps, until he was just inches out of the reach of Magus's weapon.

"CYRUS!"

Lucca winced at the cry and sank to her knees as Frog leapt, Masamune reflecting off the snow and the muted sun in the sky. Far beyond, the smoke from the destruction of all Magus had loved joined with the low clouds.

The cry of metal hitting metal was like the ice breaking in the trees. Lucca winced – surely one of their weapons had broken. But the two stood there, straining in the snow, Magus's scythe locked with Frog's sword, and Magus's foot slipped in the wet ground and edged further to the cliff edge. Then he slipped entirely and fell to the ground, and Frog drove his sword down for the kill.

A flash, then the heavy sound of a blow to the flesh, and Frog flipped up into the air, Magus's foot planted in his stomach. He hit the ground, rolled, and came to his feet again, Masamune still in his hands. Magus was up again as well, laughing, and he carelessly brushed some snow of his sleeve.

"Cowardly tricks!" Frog cried.

Magus just chuckled and Lucca's hands curled into fists. Oh, he was weak. It was obvious. He wasn't even hovering, as she'd seen him do, and surely that fight with Lavos had drained most of his strength. And yet, and yet… of course he knew his death was near. He had to know it. And yet it was like this was all a game. Idiot. Fool.

Frog charged again and Lucca could pinpoint the spot he'd leap. Magus raised a hand, said some words in some strange language, and eldritch power leapt to his fingers, drawing the light around him into its void. He looked so gaunt, just pale skin and bone harshly illuminated from the spell. 

He threw the magic outwards and it struck Frog full-on in the chest, exploding into dark lightning and blowing the snow out in all directions. Frog skidded, staggered, and leapt, tendrils of darkness sliding off of him. Magus raised his scythe and once again came the clash of metal on metal, and again as Frog struck again, a constant hail of blows that left Magus too busy to do anything but parry. Then scarlet red streaked the snow and Lucca lost her breath, trying to see whose blood it was. She could not tell. The fighters moved and Lucca lost clear sight of Frog, hidden behind Magus's back. Something happened, Magus's arm jerked aside as his scythe was knocked away from guard, and his scream ripped through the air. It stopped, Lucca heard him gasp and he fell to his knees, Frog's sword dripping red. His scythe hit the snow and slipped away from his grasp.

Frog stepped backwards a pace, breathing hard, still in guard.

"Get up," he hissed, "Or yield."

Lucca stood and walked towards the two. The snow was starting to stain around the mystic as his blood slipped across his body and into the white.

"I cannot do either," Magus whispered, and his head slumped so that Lucca could not see his face from under his hair.

The Masamune dropped until the tip touched the snow. Frog said nothing, just watched as Magus attempted to stand, slipped, and fell to his side with an agonized cry. He curled around the wound and Lucca knelt beside him.

She wanted to ask Marle to save him. Perhaps she would. But no, the girl was behind them, staring out away from the fight and crying. Chrono could ask her to, and she would. But he wasn't here, was he?

With a finger she lifted Magus's hair off of his face and laid it out behind him. His breathing was coming shallow now and he opened his eyes. Not looking at any of them, just the snow beyond. It seemed to be a struggle to bring himself to the present when he spoke.

"In time," he said, "the curse on Frog will lift. He'll be human again."

Magus coughed and blood flecked his lips. He drew in one more deep breath, grew still, and whispered Schala's name. Then he died.

The wind picked up, throwing snow around them. To her own surprise, Lucca found herself unable to cry.

"I hope you find peace now," she whispered, and gently closed Magus's eyes and folded his hands across his chest. There was a rustle above her and Lucca stepped back to allow Frog to spread Magus's cloak over his body. He put a hand on Lucca's shoulder and she turned to see Marle walking away, back down the path they had come. Frog let go of her and followed. He limped slightly and every now and then a drop of blood would fall onto the snow. He stopped and turned to look at them at the base of the incline.

"Coming?" he asked, "We still hath a world to save."

No time for regret. Lucca nodded and followed Frog away and down the path. Behind them, the wind continued to cover that which they'd left behind, until all traces of the struggle that had occurred were lost under the snow. 


	3. Let him live?

"Frog," Lucca said, finding her voice despite the cold pressing against her lungs, "Does this have to be done?"

He didn't answer, only stepped forwards until he was just out of the reach of Magus's weapon. 

"For Cyrus," he said evenly, and charged. 

Magus whirled his scythe up and above his head and the jar of Frog's sword visibly staggered him. Frog didn't hesitate, only pressed the advantage, putting Magus on the defensive and driving him further back towards the cliff edge.

"This is wrong," Lucca said, "He's weak. He can't hold Frog off."

"He's done so much evil, Lucca," Marle replied softly.

"Still doesn't make this right."

She shoved her gun into the holster and strode forwards towards the combatants. Magus raised a hand, shouted something into the artic air, and eldritch energy leap out from his upraised palm and impacted into Frog. The blast knocked Lucca onto her back, smashing the air from her lungs, and she coughed once before recovering enough to scramble to her knees to see what was happening. Frog and Magus were on even ground again, Frog staying low and Magus watching like a raven. Lucca found her feet, found her nerve, and ran between the two, skidding a bit in the snow.

"Stop this!" she cried and in response to her emotion, fire sprang up around her. She quelled it to small flickers around her ankles. "Enough."

Frog backed away; Magus let his scythe slip out of guard.

"This is insane," she continued, "Frog, you lost so much, yes, but so did Magus. Hell, we just SAW what happened. Does… can…. Can we just stop this?"

That was when Marle stepped forwards as well. Lucca let out a pent-up breath of relief. She'd seen Marle pull her full-royal act before and knew the girl was capable of stopping a crowd with just a few words. 

"This isn't helping anything," Marle said, "Frog, put you sword away. Magus, I swear, try anything and –I'll- kick your ass. We're wasting time on these squabbles when we should be off trying to get Chrono back and stopping Lavos! Magus, you know more about that thing than anyone, right?"

The mystic nodded.

"But your friend is a lost cause."

"Shut up. Frog… I implore you… can you set aside this grudge you have, for us?"

He looked away and for long seconds Lucca thought he would refuse. But he slipped his sword back into his sheath and nodded.

"I can."

Marle turned back to Magus. But he was no longer paying attention, his scythe had fallen from his hand and after a moment, Lucca saw all the blood drain from his face, his eyes roll up and close, and then he toppled to the ground in a heap. The wind picked up and snow started to blow onto his face. Lucca broke into a run and landed on her knees by his side. Breathing, but shallow. She smelled copper and carefully felt around his torso to find the source. Around the edges of his armor were sticky wet spots. He'd been hurt in the battle with Lavos and all this time he'd ignored the wounds. Hell.

"Well, don't just stand there," she called over her shoulder, "Help me!"

Lucca was by his side when he woke. He lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling and then turning his head to survey the room. How strange this all must seem.

"Unexpected," he murmured, and struggled to raise himself to a sitting position in the bed, "I thought I would be dead by now."

"There was a bit of a shouting match," Lucca admitted, "After you collapsed Frog turned all introspective and wouldn't talk for a while. So we brought you back here – to my house, in my time – and then Marle decided to go off and look for a way to save Chrono. I said I'd stay, since this is my house after all, and Frog protested that, but then he protested Marle going off as well. So we yelled at him for a bit, Ayla called him some names, and he got embarrassed and apologized and went off with Marle and Ayla. I think he's gotten protective with…"

She took a deep breath.

"With your red-haired friend dead." Magus finished the sentence.

"Yes."

It stung to say that. She had to stay silent for a few minutes, swallowing tears, and Magus continued to look around the room. This wasn't his time. Lucca would have to remember that.

Then he turned to himself, carefully pushing the covers away and fingering scars that had been left. Marle had healed him, but those were part of the healing. 

"Lavos about killed you, didn't it?"

He shrugged.

"I lived though, didn't I?"

"Only because of us."

"You expect thanks?"

"If you want me to bring you any food, it would be wise."

She stood, and was starting to understand why Frog hadn't wanted to leave her here to tend to him. There was no danger… he was just… difficult.

"Very well. Thank you," he said flatly, "Bring me my tunic as well."

Lucca fought down her temper. He was still weak and injured; she could ream him out for ordering her around later.

"Eh, we got rid of it. You lost too much blood to repair it – I have a new one snitched from my father – give me a minute."

"They know I'm here…?"

His eyes narrowed and Lucca could see the muscles in his shoulders tense.

"No, no. Father is at the festival and will be there for a few days, staying in the inn. We're a ways out of town. Mother…" Lucca took a deep breath. "Well, she can't find out. And besides! You're just some name in a history textbook here."

She went for the door. Stopped at the frame.

"Magus," Lucca said softly, "I have to ask. You're going to help us, aren't you?"

A pause, and Lucca felt sweat on the back of her neck.

"You aim to destroy Lavos. As long as our goals coincide, then yes."

"Thank you."

She fairly fled the room to find him something to eat. The others promised they'd return before evening to share what they had found. Lucca silently hoped that it would be sooner – ally or not, Magus was a bit of a jerk. And, she reluctantly conceded, he was making her nervous. 


End file.
